Comments on: Five Laws of Product Development for Education in the 21st Century http://www.xplanazine.com/2006/02/five-laws-of-product-development-for-education-in-the-21st-century Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:36:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Chas Martin http://www.xplanazine.com/2006/02/five-laws-of-product-development-for-education-in-the-21st-century#comment-459 Chas Martin Tue, 14 Feb 2006 05:08:34 +0000 http://www.xplanazine.com/2006/02/five-laws-of-product-development-for-education-in-the-21st-century#comment-459 I have to agree. In addition, consider this: Curiosity is the learner's greatest tool, and potentially the one most at risk with such an abundance of technology. Gadgets and delivery systems are essential to transferring information. Information is doubling every 18 months. So, curiosity becomes even more powerful as a student's guide to follow a path of interest. In a flat world, information is no longer limited by geographical reach. Learning communities are no longer limited to those you can see and touch. So, curiosity and imagination are also suddenly unbound and limitless. How do we assure that curiosity is now only preserved, but recognized as the highest order or learning? Curiosity can take you farther than ever before if you have the time to follow a path of interest, explore the many tributaries, make choices on your intended direction and continue on the quest. When teaching design students in earlier days of desktop digital tools, I encouraged them to do thier thinking with pen and paper first, then figure out how to make the tools do what they needed. The opposite is too often true. We approach a problem discovering what the software will let us do. While that may not limit curiosity, it certainly limits the choices we consider. Bottom line: Product development should always leave room for the learner's curiosity to drive the direction of the quest. And, if that quest goes beyond the capabilities of the product, that's a good thing. I have to agree. In addition, consider this: Curiosity is the learner’s greatest tool, and potentially the one most at risk with such an abundance of technology. Gadgets and delivery systems are essential to transferring information. Information is doubling every 18 months. So, curiosity becomes even more powerful as a student’s guide to follow a path of interest.
In a flat world, information is no longer limited by geographical reach. Learning communities are no longer limited to those you can see and touch. So, curiosity and imagination are also suddenly unbound and limitless.
How do we assure that curiosity is now only preserved, but recognized as the highest order or learning? Curiosity can take you farther than ever before if you have the time to follow a path of interest, explore the many tributaries, make choices on your intended direction and continue on the quest.
When teaching design students in earlier days of desktop digital tools, I encouraged them to do thier thinking with pen and paper first, then figure out how to make the tools do what they needed. The opposite is too often true. We approach a problem discovering what the software will let us do. While that may not limit curiosity, it certainly limits the choices we consider.

Bottom line: Product development should always leave room for the learner’s curiosity to drive the direction of the quest. And, if that quest goes beyond the capabilities of the product, that’s a good thing.

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